1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of motor vehicle accessories, and more particularly, to weather-related protection devices for motor vehicles.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
When a parked motor vehicle is in an outdoor area experiencing snowfall, sleet, or icy conditions, door handles and door locks on these vehicles can get accumulations of snow or ice that make locating and operating the handles difficult or impossible until cleared. Handles on vehicles can easily become stuck and unusable in such conditions, and keys cannot be inserted into locks that are iced over.
Protective devices for vehicle door latches and locks are generally known. In one example set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,379, a protector utilizes a magnetic frame adapted to be placed over the periphery of a frangible sheet material. In use, the sheet material is placed over a door handle and the magnetic frame is placed over the sheet to hold the sheet in place. When the motorist is ready to open the door, they rupture the frangible sheet to access the handle. Although useful, the sheet of the '379 patent cannot be reused once ruptured, and the two handed approach to placing the protector on a car may be awkward and difficult for certain users. Further, the type of flexible rubber strip magnets utilized by the '379 patent lose strength in colder weather, and are not practical for use in winter.
A similar design in German patent document DE202011100394 teaches a magnetic detachable cover, wherein the corners of the cover are stitched in a round shape to accept magnets therein. However, this type of cover must also be either ruptured or pulled off by gripping a thermo foil center piece, which may be difficult in cold weather, especially when a user is wearing gloves. Further, it is noted that that inserting individual pieces of magnet into corner pockets of the cover adds to the complexity of manufacturing.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,540,792 is directed to another similar flexible magnetic cover. Magnets are attached to a flexible sheet via adhesive, heat sealing the magnets within the sheet, or sewing the magnets into the sheet. However, it should be noted that cold weather can negatively affect many types of adhesives. It may also be difficult to heat seal magnets into the sheet, when the magnets have a tendency to be attracted to surrounding metal parts, such as the heat sealer itself. Likewise, it may be difficult to sew strong magnets into the sheet, since the magnets will have a tendency to stick to metal of the sewing machine during manufacturing.
Therefore, there is seen to be a need in the art for a reusable and simply manufactured cover that is easily removed from a vehicle by a user, while being securely attached to the vehicle when in use.